"I'd like to extend an invitation to you to join Targent."

"I beg your pardon?" Layton said in surprise, looking up from under his hat and taking a step back. Surely Bronev knew that he would never accept the offer.

"What?!" Emmy screeched. Her shock wasn't put-on. Bronev turned to look her way and, while his sunglasses covered his eyes, she was sure that he looked her dead in the eye, raising an eyebrow, she recognised this as a look that he gave when someone challenged his judgement.

"Oh, Don't feign surprise Layton. Did you really not see this coming?" Bronev said condescendingly. He raised an arm as he spoke. "You are, after all, an archaeologist - one who has seen the Azran ruins and knows of their significance."

As Layton listened, his eyes narrowed. He had also seen what Targent were prepared to do and knew of their brutality.

"Power and wisdom beyond anything that mankind possesses today..." He recited, his words flowing like an incantation. He held still for a second, and then quickly, the man's eyes darted back onto the professor. "Don't tell me that you aren't tempted!"


Aurora gave a small gasp as her eyes moved upwards - outside the room was Professor Sycamore. The sight stirred up a lot of confusing questions inside the girl. Why was he here - he wasn't part of Targent was he? She was sure that he had expressed his hatred for Targent before - or was he lying about that too? Didn't he betray all of them?

The girl was snapped out of her thoughts by a crack against the window. She flinched, and let out yet another gasp. The man had hurled a recognisable egg-shaped stone at the large window that looked into the room. The aura stone had left a crack right in the centre of the window and yet despite how close she was to it, she couldn't sense the presence of it at all. Hitting the window again, the crack grew, and Aurora stepped back to avoid any of the glass hitting her.

The flood of questions was released again. Was he really a bad person? Why would he be trying to help her escape if he was? Why wasn't Professor Layton here to save her like he had done before?

With a third hit, the glass shattered inwards, and glass shards rained across the floor, creating a hole just large enough for the girl to escape through.

Descole could already hear footsteps running fast down the corridor. There was no time to waste. "Come this way." He said, offering out a hand to help her clamber out. She took it reluctantly. Aurora noticed his voice was changed from that calm, intellectually thoughtful voice of the Professor to a rougher growl. "You've got to hurry else they'll catch up - and if I get shot I'm not going to be of much use, am I?"


When Bronev had finished his little speech, the Professor remained silent - he had to think of the right way to decline for the safety of both himself and his assistants.

"The advancement of man's knowledge is a worthy goal, of course." Layton began, and he noticed a slight smirk appear on the other man's face. "However it is one that must be pursued in freedom - not at the cost of human rights."

Bronev's reaction was an unexpected one. He turned and strode to the side of the room, shaking his head. When he finally looked up, instead of the predicted shout of anger, the man let out a roar of laughter. "Such a noble sentiment!" He said, folding his arms assertively.

Emmy hid her worry under a determined expression. She was hoping that when they came face to face, the professor could bring her uncle to his senses, but instead it seemed only to spur him on and make him become more self-confident.

"Now before you start to feel smug, I think I need to show you something."

Bronev paced over towards his desk and turned the monitor to face Layton. With caution, the professor walked over. Luke glanced at Emmy, and nervously the two followed on.


Aurora ran down the corridor as fast as she could, but Descole could see that she was beginning to fall behind. He couldn't let her get captured by them again - it would endanger both her and himself. "Aurora!" He called to get her attention.

The Azran girl looked over to him and, before she knew it, the man lifted her into his arms before continuing to run.

She wasn't sure how to feel. It was impossible to relax given the situation, and every time she would think she felt safe and secure because she wasn't alone, Aurora would remember that this man wasn't the same person that she had become become so close to on the Bostonius.

Descole kept running, the footsteps were getting closer. Luckily the girl was very light, but carrying her wasn't ideal - he needed somewhere to hide so that they wouldn't see them.

Nearing the end of the corridor, Descole decided to take a risk - instead of turning, he would run into the antechamber of Bronev's office straight ahead. The Targent underlings wouldn't think they would hide in there, not to mention the fact that they would be too afraid to barge into their boss's office.

Letting the door swing shut behind them, Descole put Aurora down gently. The girl shuddered and took a few steps back, watching him carefully. She had been hopeful when she had first seen him return as Professor Sycamore, but now she couldn't tell who he was. His actions said one thing, but his speech said another - and his facial expressions exhibited something completely different to both.

Descole watched as the girl shuffled away from him, and gave a sigh, looking at the floor. It was his own fault.

"...I think I heard them talking about Professor Layton." Aurora spoke up quietly, breaking the silence. Maybe Sycamore (or whoever he was now) knew what they could be doing. "It was about... being a new researcher I think."

"W-what?!" The man exclaimed, pushing his one hand under his glasses. His expression suddenly turned stormy. "What did you say?"

The Azran put her hand close to her chest and tensed up. The harshness in his voice hadn't gone, even as he whispered. Opening her mouth to mumble back a response, Aurora was stopped by a voice coming from the office.

"No! My parents... I- What do you intend to do to them?"